The present invention relates generally to airbag modules, more particularly air bag modules having a housing for accommodating at least one gas generator and at least one airbag.
Airbags have become a common feature in automobile vehicles. However, it has been discovered that there is a need for an airbag module that can provide a damping motion in the event of a vehicle accident. For instance, Patent DE 44 30 588 discloses an airbag system which can at least partially move away from the vehicle occupant. For this purpose the housing for accommodating the gas generator and the airbag is fastened on plastically deformable or resilient elements to absorb energy. The intention as a result is to prevent an occupant who, in the event of a crash, is not sitting upright but rather is bent forwards and has his head within the space provided for the inflatable airbag, from being injured by the airbag and possibly by parts of the covering cap of the airbag module. Furthermore, gas-filled compression springs are additionally provided likewise for absorbing energy and for damping the movement.
German Published Specification DE 197 51 991 A1 (incorporated by reference herein) discloses an airbag module, in which the housing for accommodating the gas generator and the airbag is fastened, on the one hand, to the dashboard by means of deformable flanges and, on the other hand, to the substructure of the dashboard by means of deformable elements. These deformable flanges and deformable elements are likewise intended to absorb energy when the vehicle occupant strikes his/her head against them, by a damped movement of the housing away from the vehicle occupant.
It is therefore known to provide two different elements for absorbing energy and for damping the movement of the housing. The disadvantage of these described arrangements is that the construction of the airbag module is too complicated, and so the outlay on manufacturing, in particular for the two deformation or damping elements in each case, and also their installation costs are too high. Thus, there is a need for an airbag module that allows for a less complicated construction and lower installation cost while providing energy absorption and damping movement.